Prayers of Blessings

Prayers of Blessings

Fr. Steven Hoffman, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Father’s Blessings: God the Father loves to bless us and all His children, to bestow good things upon us. Ask God to fill you anew with the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift that God greatly desires to give us (Lk 11:13).

There are two moments of profound blessing—at creation and baptism—blessings that express God’s immense love for us and which also affirm other truths, like our inherent goodness and our God-given identity.

In a time of prayer, allow God to pronounce these blessings anew over you, receiving the words directly from His heart:

*Blessings of Creation (Genesis 1:26-31) — “You are very good” “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” “You are the apple of my eye.” “I have carved you in the palm of my hand—You are precious to me, and you are mine.”
*“Lord I thank you that I am wonderfully made by You in love. Let me know and experience Your delight in me, to rejoice in my unrepeatable uniqueness, made in Your likeness and image. Help me to embrace the truth that I am special to You, that I have always been wanted by You and that my life is a gift from You. Please fill me anew with Your life-giving Spirit.”

*Baptismal Blessing (Mt 3:17) – “You are my beloved son / daughter . . . in you I am well pleased, in you is my delight.”
*“Thank you Lord for making me Your child, for claiming me as Your own. I belong to You. Dear Lord, I pray that this bestowal of belovedness and my baptismal identity as your daughter / son become like a pillar of iron within me, the core from which I live, the ground upon which I walk. May this truth of my great dignity and worth be the source of my joy and peace, a shield against the enemy, and my refuge in moments of trial and temptation. Come Holy Spirit, breathe into me anew the gift of love, joy and peace.”